Green set to defend title

The RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing series continues this weekend

Reigning champion Andy Green heads the cast for the RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing Series 4 this weekend (26-27 January) as he bids to win the right to defend his title at the Series final in March.

Having not competed in a high-profile match racing event since the 2003 America’s Cup, Green returned to the discipline with a bang last March as he cruised through the Final’s round-robin event and semi-finals to clinch the 2007 Series crown with a 2-1 final victory over fellow Brit Mark Campbell-James.

Green was among the chasing pack as newly-crowned World Champion Ian Williams booked his spot in this year’s Series Final courtesy of his Challenge 2 win at the start of December.

And with two Final places up for grabs from this weekend’s Grade 3 Challenge 4 at Queen Mary, Green will be hoping to at least make it to the qualifier final to seal his place at the Series decider on 7-9 March.

Also keen to book his Series Final spot will be Andrew Cornah who will be looking to improve on the incident-filled third place he eventually hobbled to at last weekend’s Challenge 3.

Young Pole Marek Stanczyk, currently enjoying his highest World ranking to date at 29, leads the rankings for Challenge 4 while Finland’s Jon Eriksson, who finished ninth in last year’s Series Final also returns to Queen Mary looking to make his second successive Final.  
 
RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing Series 4 Entry List:
Marek Stanczyk (POL) (ISAF Ranking 29)
Andrew Cornah (GBR) (36)
Jon Eriksson (FIN) (41)
Alexis Littoz Baritel (FRA) (58)
Alistair Hall (GBR) (64)
Robbie Allam (GBR) (71)
Robert Ingman (FIN) (83)
Orkun Soyer (TUR) (91)
Andy Green (GBR) (258)

2007-08 RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing Series Dates:
Winter Challenge 4 (Grade 3) 26 - 27 January
Winter Challenge 5 (Grade 2) 8 - 10 February
Women’s Winter Challenge (Grade 2) 22 - 24 February
Winter Challenge Final (Grade 2) 7 - 9 March 2008